In my doctoral dissertation entitled 'Dignity in the workplace', I concluded my thesis emphasising the imperative of a paradigm for moral leadership in the 21st century, if we want to experience dignity in our worldspace.

Through my research of workers in two independent power plants of the US-based AES Corporation, I discovered that dignity positively prevailed in the two workplaces as a result of an enlightened worldview practised by the leadership of that company. The workers were positively "em-couraged" to do what is right, in the right way and with the right altitude. Thus, I concluded that the dignity of living a life of destiny was enabled in those workplaces.

Now, to the worldspace. Does dignity prevail in the worldspace of nation-states today? No. On the one hand, 1,151 million people live on less than one dollar a day and the Palestinians still do not have a homeland.

On the other hand, individual power states behave like the very terrorists they condemn. As a result today, "terrorism" is the modus operandi of the day when one cannot use peaceful methods; whether by small groups or nation-states.

Might appears right. In the lexicon of my thesis, this is because of the lack of "dignified leadership" in the world. For example, in the specific case of the "post-911 terrorism issues", it appears that the current "leaders" appear to operate only in the "power paradigm".

All three, whether George W Bush, Saddam Hussein or Ariel Sharon, actually possess a similar mental altitude; that of arrogance and superiority based on the "might is right" worldview.

Actually, in the scriptures of the Abrahamic traditions, Moses acted and killed the Egyptian soldier deploying the same mental attitude when he thought "no one else was watching". But, God saw his actions and sent him for another 40 years of education to the University of Hard Knocks to learn "wisdom" which he had not found yet, although after years at the centre of Egyptian educational excellence within the Pharaoh's courts.

Therefore, in spite of the lessons from 911 or the bombing of Pearl Harbour, the leadership of the world has not yet recognised that the days of the power paradigm are over. Today, followership too is enlightened enough to want to live a life of dignity in the worldplace; often even though disallowed by the lack of enlightened leadership. And as with Moses, the misguided few will always take things into their own hands, and then bring the curse of God upon their kind.

Today, some British and German politicians have argued that Bush Jr can be compared to Adolf Hitler. Actually, based on the power paradigm, that is really a compliment! After all, Hitler too believed that "his truth" was the absolute truth for the world.

He then went about trying to steamroll his truth by force over all of Europe. Fortunately, not all spectators were blinded by the power of his "might and truth". His might was not to be the truth. The rest is history.

I therefore pray that wisdom will prevail in the UN Security Council; that the wise members will also seek to live out their dignity of speaking for each of their versions of "truth" and not allow one bully to steamroll "his truth" by force of might. Right is also might.

Today, a year after 911, three years after Seattle's violent WTO protest and more than a decade after the fall of the Berlin wall, do we really need another "atomic bomb" to move our mindsets away from the "power paradigm?"

Within the global village of the knowledge era, is it not reason and logic articulated and debated via the UN that should prevail as "truth?" Is that not why the UN was set up after the last World War?

Therefore, I sincerely pray that all nations who have the power (although the veto is still a relic of the power paradigm) and all other fellow nations (with a representative vote) will exercise the divinely ordained right to do what is right, in the right way and with the right attitude.

Please do not allow the UN to be abused by one bully nation and allow all our indignity to prevail. Please vote with the dignity ascribed by God, and if necessary, even walk out "when reason is no more".

But, under no circumstance should we allow one bully nation to hold all the majority others to ransom; whether US, Iraq or Israel.

After all, as Eric Fromm wrote in his book, Escape from Freedom , Hitler arose really because the followership did not have the courage to stand up for their dignity and manage their disagreement over his wrong actions.

Most opted for moral cowardice of blind followership especially when the very meaning of "being human" was being redefined by one big bully. Let us rid the world of such bullies who only see right from their narrow and limited worldviews, and use might to "enforce their truth".

The UN belongs to all nations of the world. Therefore, we all have a vote, or a veto, but for God's sake let our 15 wise people use it for the good of mankind and not just their own selfish viewpoints.

Following the Gandhian non-violent peace model, the non-veto members too can even speak together and "veto" any unmerited resolution by abstaining from the entire "unreasonable dialogue." That too is "might" established by right! May God bless the world.